as in to frighten
to strike with fear
that foolish woman would be scarified by a mouse
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Recent Examples of scarify
Some will confine their mess to pixels, but surely others will scarify the walls and stain the floors.
—
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 23 Sep. 2021
And some on the platform feel free enough to verbally poke a pop star or scarify Spotify.
—Bill Hochberg, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2021
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 23 Sep. 2021
And some on the platform feel free enough to verbally poke a pop star or scarify Spotify.
—Bill Hochberg, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scarify
Verb
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The Secretary of State called the event an attempt to frighten public servants.—
Jack Perry,
The Providence Journal,
9 Jan. 2026
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But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Just don’t understand the attraction of settling down with a book and scaring yourself half to death.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
12 Jan. 2026
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What's more, this door alarm features three sensitivity levels and emits a loud, shrill sound that will instantly scare an intruder away.—
Stephanie Gray,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Arnoldo is still waiting for Houston authorities to help him, still terrified that a masked agent will come first.—
Nicole Foy,
ProPublica,
13 Jan. 2026
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Their mother, Dorothy (Susannah Flood), an alcoholic, is passive, withdrawn, and terrified of Mike.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mission Viejo Animal Services responded to a call Friday morning from a Rancho Santa Margarita resident who reported that strong winds had startled the 16-month-old dog, Lana, prompting her to flee into a canyon area between Dove Canyon and Coto de Caza.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
13 Jan. 2026
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Authorities in southern Colorado are investigating after a sudden explosion damaged a building and startled nearby residents.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scarify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scarify. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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